6:30PM - March to the North Berkeley Senior Center where the Labor Commission is meeting, (1901 Hearst Avenue)

7:00PM - Speak and register public comments at the Labor Commission meeting

Possible additional actions after 8PM - TBD

Event Type

Protest

Organizer/Author

Nicky Gonzalez-yuen

Today, we are rallying to encourage the Berkeley City Council in its high-road path in raising the minimum wage. The rally will feature speakers from local labor unions and community organizations and will culminate in a march through the streets of Berkeley to the meeting of the Labor Commission which is handling the issue.

Four years ago this week, we saw the federal minimum wage rise to a meager $7.25 an hour. The state minimum wage has been stuck at $8.00 for five years. For a full-time worker, this amounts to just $16,640, far below the national poverty level for a family of 4 ($23, 550), much less a living wage in the Bay Area.

Last April the Berkeley City Council took an important first step when Mayor Tom Bates introduced a resolution directing the city manager to draft an ordinance that would 1) set Berkeley’s minimum wage at $10.55 an hour; and 2) build in an automatic cost-of-living increase pegged to the region’s consumer price index. This was a bold measure that matched the progressive values of this city. Mayor Bates’ measure passed with a unanimous vote of the city council. Now, the city’s citizen labor commission is studying the issue, receiving public comment, and preparing its recommendation for council action. A vote could come as soon as this fall.

Please join us at 5:30 PM at the downtown Berkeley BART station as we rally to encourage the Labor Commission and the Berkeley City Council to do the right thing and raise the minimum wage.